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*****
Sasuke's face turned alternately pale and livid, his expression twisted with rage, as though he might explode at any moment and throw a punch to protect his pride.
Ximen Zhen calmly stared at Sasuke. If Sasuke dared attack again, he wouldn't mind teaching him a painful lesson.
In the end, Sasuke held himself back. He had vowed not to raise his hand again.
He slumped to the ground, looking utterly defeated, as if all his will had been beaten out of him.
"Why are you telling me all this? Just to humiliate me?"
Ximen Zhen sensed that the time was right—it was time to wrap things up properly.
He hadn't forgotten his true purpose for coming here: to secure land for future development.
It was just that Sasuke's deep prejudice against him and his extreme wariness of everything around him had made communication impossible until now.
Now that they could talk, Ximen Zhen naturally intended to get what he came for.
Preferably without spending any money.
After all, what Sasuke wanted most right now was strength.
The land under the Uchiha name would eventually be confiscated by the likes of Danzo under some legitimate pretense once Sasuke defected from the village.
It would be a massive waste to let those old geezers take such valuable property.
"Sasuke, what I'm going to say next is the last thing I'll say to you with a calm and sincere heart."
"If you still want to act like this, then let's pretend we never met today."
Had this been the old Sasuke, he would have blown up by now.
But this Sasuke had been crushed to the point of mental breakdown by Ximen Zhen's blows. He also felt guilt toward his classmates. Rarely, he raised his head to look at Ximen Zhen, intending to seriously listen to him.
Even if his eyes still looked like dead fish eyes.
"You're an orphan, but that doesn't mean no one understands you."
"I've been listening to stories about the Uchiha clan for over a month. The storytellers include people who watched your parents grow from infants to adults. Some saw your brother on dates, laughing with a girl. And some even held you and changed your diapers."
Sasuke looked stunned, completely caught off guard by Ximen Zhen's sudden words.
Especially the part about diaper-changing—it made Sasuke feel shame he hadn't felt in a long time. He wanted to stop Ximen Zhen, but the next words captivated him even more.
"Right now, in the entire Hidden Leaf Village, I might be the person who knows you best."
"I understand your loneliness and helplessness. I know why you push everyone away. But unfortunately, with your current abilities, revenge is completely out of the question."
"I also understand Uchiha Itachi."
Sasuke's pupils shrank. Just hearing Itachi's name nearly snapped something inside his head, but the chakra in Ximen Zhen's hand calmed him down again.
"Uchiha Itachi, as he is now, even the Third Hokage might not be his match."
"And you? You haven't even mastered the basic chakra control techniques because you keep pushing people away. At your brother's age, he had already passed the Chunin Exams and become a member of the Hokage's ANBU squad."
Sasuke's shoulders trembled. He had always known there was a vast gap between him and his brother.
But because he had no clear benchmark, he never truly understood just how big that gap was.
Now, Ximen Zhen had laid out the cruel truth right in front of him, making Sasuke's head throb in pain. Even his eyes started to ache.
He didn't understand what was happening, but in Sasuke's eyes, Ximen Zhen saw a single tomoe flash by.
Ximen Zhen clicked his tongue in admiration. Was this the power of persuasive speech?
Then again, Sasuke had already awakened his Sharingan on the night of the clan massacre. Ximen Zhen had just given him a small push.
When it came to persuasion, Ximen Zhen confidently admitted he was far inferior to the protagonist.
"I know… I know all that!"
"But what can I do about it?!"
Sasuke clutched his head, mumbling in frustration, as a trickle of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, a blister on his lip having burst.
"It's very simple."
Sensing the moment was ripe, Ximen Zhen snapped his fingers.
"I'll teach you."
Sasuke looked at Ximen Zhen again, his face filled with confusion, as if asking, You?
"Yes, I'm not even a ninja—but I beat you. That's all that matters."
"I'm the winner, which means you still have something to learn from me. And if one day you defeat me, I'll even recommend a better teacher to you."
Sasuke's eyes lit up slightly, as if he had finally found direction.
Say what you will, but Ximen Zhen's method of chakra control was something Sasuke had never learned before.
"But why… Why are you helping me? Is it out of pity?"
"Of course not."
Ximen Zhen rubbed his hands together and said, "I told you—I know you. I know revenge is the only thing you care about, which means this land means nothing to you, right?"
"My condition is simple: for every technique I teach you, you give me one courtyard of land. Also, you must stop forbidding me from writing about the Uchiha clan."
"Of course, if one day you defeat me, you can take back everything you've ever paid me."
"How about it? It's an interesting wager, isn't it?"
As of now, Ximen Zhen needed a training partner and a way to explain the source of the ninjutsu he'd soon be using.
Obviously, Sasuke and Naruto were perfect sparring partners he'd never need to replace, and the Uchiha clan's collection of scrolls gave him a credible source for his ninjutsu.
Even if Sasuke didn't know the ninjutsu himself, as long as he claimed they came from Uchiha archives, no one could question it.
More importantly, in the future, Ximen Zhen needed Sasuke to help him establish contact with Orochimaru—the undead scientist of the ninja world.
Sasuke lowered his head and began to ponder.
But seeing his slightly twitching fingers, Ximen Zhen knew that Sasuke was excited—just pretending to be reserved.
Sure enough, half a minute later, Sasuke looked up and said, "I agree."
"The land you came here to buy today—I'll give it to you. Now teach me how to control chakra like you do."
"Sure. But before that, you need to do one thing first."
Sasuke stood up in annoyance, thinking Ximen Zhen was going back on his word. But Ximen Zhen simply looked over at Sakura, who was now stirring, and motioned for Sasuke to be quiet. Then he shut the door, leaving Sasuke outside.
Now, it was time for a face-to-face with the waking Sakura.
Although Ximen Zhen hadn't started simulating anything yet, he was already laying the groundwork for her simulation.
And everything that had just happened was the most important part of ensuring the simulation would succeed.
Sakura's lashes trembled, and she opened her eyes.
A second later, she quickly sat up, reaching for her back and face. Realizing her skin was still smooth and unblemished—better even than after a fresh bath—she breathed a sigh of relief.
But then her face turned bright red.
Her sudden movement had caused the kimono she was wrapped in to slip off her shoulders, exposing her entire back to Ximen Zhen.
(End of Chapter)